MIDEL 7131 ®

Moisture Tolerance
March 2016 Page 1 of 2

Moisture Tolerance Figure 1 - Breakdown Voltage vs. Moisture Content at 20°C (IEC 60156 2.5mm)

MIDEL 7131 has a very high moisture 90

tolerance. This means it can absorb far 80

greater amounts of water than mineral oil
and silicone liquid without compromising 70
Breakdown Voltage (kV)

its dielectric properties. MIDEL 7131 can

60
also trap more water which may slow
down cellulose ageing. In the case of 50
mineral oil, there is a danger that this
40
water will be released as condensation. MIDEL 7131
30
Natural Ester
Why Moisture Tolerance Is Important Mineral Oil
in Transformers: 20

 Dielectric strength - reduces as
moisture content increase
 Rate of paper ageing - increases with
higher moisture content
 Bubble formation during overloads -
bubbles form at a lower temperature
when there is a high moisture content
in the paper
 Condensation during cool down - risk
of release of free water from mineral oil
Dielectric Strength
Figure 1 shows the breakdown voltage at
ambient temperature of MIDEL 7131,
natural ester, mineral oil and silicone
liquid with increasing moisture levels. It
clearly illustrates that even a small
amount of water in mineral oil and
silicone liquid cause a rapid deterioration
in breakdown voltage. In contrast, MIDEL
7131 maintains a high breakdown voltage
of >75kV even when moisture levels
exceed 600ppm.
10
0
0 100
Rate of Paper Ageing
The rate of paper ageing is directly
related to the water content. Various
studies have shown that the lifetime of
the paper reduces by as much as a factor
of ten for each extra 1% of water content
in the cellulose. As the cellulose ages it
releases water, thus accelerating the
ageing process. Therefore it is vital that
cellulose is kept as dry as possible.
MIDEL 7131 has the ability to trap more
moisture than mineral oil, which can
reduce the amount of water in the paper
and hence reduce the ageing rate.
Using moisture equilibrium curves it is
possible to show that for MIDEL 7131 at
60°C, water content in fluid of 200ppm
would equate to water content in the
cellulose of 1.1%. At the same
temperature, mineral oil with a water
content of 20ppm would lead to water
content in the cellulose of 2.6%. The
extra 1.5% of moisture would equate to at
least a tenfold decrease in the life of the
cellulose.
Silicone Liquid
200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Moisture Content (ppm)
Bubble Evolution During Overloads
Bubbles in dielectric fluids are
undesirable since they are electrically
weak. According to IEC 60076-14, bubble
evolution temperature is directly related to
the moisture content of cellulose. During
overload conditions the temperature of
paper wrapped conductors will rise,
increasing the risk of reaching critical
temperatures for bubble evolution. For
example, with a paper water content of
2.6% the temperature at which bubbles
form will be 130°C. With a water content
of 1.1% the bubble evolution temperature
is 165°C. Since MIDEL 7131 has the
ability to keep paper drier it gives a
greater margin of safety during overloads.
 MIDEL 7131 ®

Moisture Tolerance
March 2016 Page 2 of 2

Condensation During Cool Down Table 1 - Standards for Moisture Content

With mineral oil there is a potential for Standard Moisture Content

water to be released when a transformer IEC 61099 - New Esters max. 200ppm
cools from operating temperature to
ambient. This is because mineral oil has IEC 61203 - In-service Esters max. 400ppm
a low moisture saturation limit which IEC 60296 - New Mineral Oil max. 30ppm
reduces as the temperature drops.
MIDEL 7131 has a much higher IEC 60422 - In-service Mineral Oil* max. 30ppm
saturation limit, which means that it is far
Note: The typical value for new MIDEL 7131 is 50ppm
more difficult to reach the saturation
point. *Equipment at >72.5kV and <170kV

For example if a transformer with mineral

oil and a paper water content of 1.5%
was running at 90°C the water content of
the mineral oil would be 65ppm. If the
transformer then shut down, the water
would tend to stay in the mineral oil. At
20°C the saturation limit of mineral oil is
55ppm, so the mineral oil would be 118%
saturated, releasing free water into the
transformer. The breakdown voltage of
the mineral oil will also be very low,
increasing risk of failure when restarting.
Using the same example for MIDEL 7131
at 90°C the water content would be
700ppm. The saturation limit for MIDEL
7131 at 20°C is 2700ppm, so even if all
the water stays in the MIDEL 7131 it will
only be 26% saturated. This means there
is no free water and still an excellent
breakdown voltage.
Moisture Content Testing
The standards relating to moisture
content for new and in-use fluids are
shown in the Table 1. New MIDEL 7131,
as delivered, is manufactured to very high
standards with typical moisture content of
50ppm.
MIDEL 7131 will still be within
specification up to 400ppm. In contrast,
mineral oil will be out of specification
above just 30ppm. This has practical
implications for the interpretation of
moisture level analysis. Also, if moisture-
monitoring equipment is integrated within
a transformer, its tolerance settings
should be adjusted accordingly.
Moisture Removal
Should the moisture content rise above
the maximum in-service limit, the same
methods and equipment that are used for
removing moisture from mineral oil can
also be used to remove moisture from
MIDEL 7131. For example molecular
sieves and vacuum filtration units.
For further advice on the moisture
tolerance and asset life extension
benefits of MIDEL 7131 please contact
the MIDEL technical team on
mideltech@mimaterials.com.